ADL’s Center for Technology and Society seeks a contract research fellow for a twelve month remote fellowship on hate, harassment, and extremism online, with a focus on disinformation/misinformation, content moderation, or experiences of targets.
The fellowship is open to researchers in any relevant field, including Information Science, Computer Science, Media/Communication Studies, Science and Technology Studies, Technology Policy, Sociology, Anthropology, Gender Studies, and related disciplines. We are primarily interested in researchers studying the intersection of hate and disinformation; content in languages other than English (such as Spanish language content moderation or disinformation); algorithmic amplification of hate and harassment (such as news feed and recommendation algorithms), and experiences of targets, including how best to support them.
We welcome early and mid-career quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods researchers, including those bringing critical, intersectional approaches to hate, harassment, and extremism (e.g., ethnographic research, qualitative analyses, or case studies) and quantitative or computational approaches.
Applicants must have a strong knowledge of the social and policy implications of digital platforms and be comfortable translating scholarly methods and findings for non-academic audiences, including for internal stakeholders, external policymakers, and the general public.
About ADL
ADL (Anti-Defamation League) is a leading anti-hate organization. Founded in 1913 in response to an escalating climate of anti-Semitism and bigotry, its timeless mission is to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all. Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of hate with the same vigor and passion. ADL is the first call when acts of anti-Semitism occur. A global leader in exposing extremism, delivering anti-bias education and fighting hate online, ADL’s ultimate goal is a world in which no group or individual suffers from bias, discrimination or hate. More at www.adl.org.
Responsibilities
The Fellow will conduct and publish original research, dividing the time 50/50 between their projects and ADL priorities. They will be responsible for conducting research for CTS and preparing public-facing reports that support ADL’s policy research, drive advocacy, and further ADL’s tech accountability work. CTS is a tech policy research and advocacy center that supports both sustained and short term research, such as our Belfer Fellowship program, our annual surveys of hate and harassment on social media and in online games, and our tech accountability report cards. The Fellow will be expected to produce and contribute to multiple short-form reports and blog posts for a public audience as well as presentations, briefings, memos, and talking points for internal and external stakeholders.
Additional responsibilities include supporting other research initiatives and reporting at CTS, such as consulting or advising on data-driven research, surveys, and/or qualitative research (according to fellows’ expertise), providing analysis or review of external research, and/or administrative responsibilities as needed. The Fellow will participate in weekly meetings and will collaborate with the CTS team, including researchers, data scientists, engineers, and policy/editorial staff, working under the supervision of Dr. Jordan Kraemer.
Qualifications: ABD or PhD in computer science, information science, social science, or relevant humanistic field with expertise in hate, extremism, and/or disinformation online, primarily on social media platforms. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods approaches are all welcome.
Application process and timeline: Please submit a CV, cover letter (1-2 pages max) outlining your research expertise, experience, and a brief description of the project you would pursue during the fellowship, and contact information for two references (we will not contact references unless candidates are selected for an interview). We encourage applicants to include one example each of scholarly and of public-facing work (preferably published or in the publishing pipeline). Please indicate how your expertise and interests align with ADL’s priorities of securing justice for all in a digital environment. All materials should be sent to cts@adl.org. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis; those received by May 23 will receive closest consideration.
Terms:
The fellowship includes a $75,000 stipend for twelve months. Fellowships will begin as early as July 2022 and can be prorated (either part-time hours or for a shorter duration).